BJP MP from Araria Pradeep Kumar Singh has claimed that a professional criminal who is presently lodged in a jail in Araria made extortion calls to him, asking him to cough up Rs 10 crore if he wants to avoid any serious trouble.
Singh told The Pioneer that a dreaded criminal who is an accused in a large number of cases made extortion calls to him while he was in Patna last Wednesday. He said that he immediately registered an FIR with Kotwali police station in Patna, expressing his surprise over the lack of “visible” action against the culprit so far.
He said that the criminal had also threatened to blow up his house by dynamite if he did not not give the extortion money.
The BJP MP claimed that he had received several extortion calls from the anti-social element, apprehending that the criminal, Dinesh Rathod might be trying to settle scores with him as he used to curb his unlawful activities in the past.
Superintendent of Police (City), Patna, Jayant Kant said that the police are investigating into the matter to verify the truth. He said that once entire facts are established, the police will approach the competent court to take the criminal on remand for interrogation.
Meanwhile, Araria’s Superintendent of Police Akhtar Hasan said that the Araria district police cannot do anything in this matter as the FIR has been registered in Patna. Araria Police will take appropriate steps once a police team from Patna visits them for taking the criminal on remand, he added.